Michael Brooks
The relationship between the French and the Catholic Church is a complex one, with a long history of religious and political entanglement. In the 18th century, the Catholic Church was the dominant religion in France, with the French monarch recognising the Pope as the head of the Church. However, the French Revolution saw a shift towards secularism, with the Church's land and wealth becoming a target for revolutionaries. This period, known as the 'dechristianisation' of France, saw the suppression of religious worship and the closure of churches. While Napoleon later worked to reconcile the Church and the state, the separation of church and state in 1905 further emphasised the neutrality of the French state with respect to religious doctrine. Despite this, France has a strong Catholic presence, with traditionalist Catholic groups pushing for a return to the country's Christian roots. While it is difficult to generalise the sentiments of a diverse population, anti-Catholic sentiment has been observed in France, with instances of hate crimes and government interference in Catholic religious autonomy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Status of the Catholic Church in France in the 18th century | The Catholic Church was the only official religion of the French state. |
| Percentage of Catholics in France in the 18th century | Almost the entire population of 28 million was Catholic. |
| French Revolution's impact on the Catholic Church | The French Revolution led to the closure of churches and suppression of religious worship. |
| French Revolution's aim regarding the Catholic Church | The Revolution aimed to appropriate the Catholic Church's wealth and terminate Christian religious practice. |
| Dechristianization movement | The dechristianization movement sought to remove all visible signs of Christianity and excise religion from French society. |
| Napoleon's role in the Catholic Church | Napoleon accommodated religious belief and practice in French society and formalized the Church's place through the Concordat of 1801. |
| Current status of the Catholic Church in France | France has a small but growing Traditionalist Catholic movement and has seen instances of anti-Christian hate crimes. |
| Church and State separation in France | The 1905 law separated Church and State, establishing state neutrality towards religious doctrine and freedom of thought. |
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What You'll Learn
The French Revolution and the Catholic Church
In 1789, the year the French Revolution broke out, Catholicism was the official religion of the French state. The French Catholic Church, known as the Gallican Church, recognised the authority of the pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church but had negotiated certain liberties that privileged the authority of the French monarch. France's population of 28 million was almost entirely Catholic, with full membership of the state denied to Protestant and Jewish minorities.
The Catholic Church was the largest landowner in the country, controlling vast properties and extracting massive revenues from its tenants. The Church also had a substantial income from the collection of tithes, worth a nominal one-tenth of agricultural production, and was exempt from direct taxation on its earnings. This prosperity caused considerable discontent, illustrated in the cahiers de doléances, or 'statements of grievances', sent from throughout the kingdom to be discussed at the meeting of the Estates-General in May 1789. Calls for the reform or abolition of the tithe and for the limitation of Church property were joined by complaints from parish priests who, excluded from the wealth bestowed upon the upper echelons of the Church hierarchy, often struggled to get by.
The revolutionary governing bodies were particularly determined to destroy every vestige of the Roman Catholic Church because France was hailed by Rome as the Church's "eldest daughter". The Constituent Assembly began the campaign against the Church by stating in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, "no body or individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation." The secular state would now have the final word over every aspect of human and social life.
The revolutionary authorities suppressed the Church, abolished the Catholic monarchy, nationalised Church property, exiled 30,000 priests, and killed hundreds more. In October 1793, the Christian calendar was replaced with one reckoned from the date of the Revolution, and Festivals of Liberty, Reason, and the Supreme Being were scheduled. Church bells were pulled down and melted, processions were forbidden, crucifixes and religious artifacts were stripped out of churches, and religious worship was suppressed. A new civil religion was introduced – patriotism.
Napoleon came to power in 1799 ready to accommodate the continued presence of religious belief and practice in French society, not least in order to dampen counter-revolutionary opposition. On 16 July 1801 France signed with Rome a document known as the Concordat, formalising the place of the Church in France.
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Napoleon and the Catholic Church
In 1789, the year the French Revolution broke out, Catholicism was the official religion of the French state. The French Catholic Church, also known as the Gallican Church, recognised the Pope's authority as head of the Roman Catholic Church. However, it had negotiated certain liberties that privileged the authority of the French monarch, giving it a distinct national identity characterised by considerable autonomy.
Napoleon came to power in 1799, ready to accommodate the continued presence of religious belief and practice in French society. Writings from his youth show that Napoleon had little time for religion, but he saw its uses for society. He also appreciated its cost-saving benefits, demonstrated by the state-sponsored re-establishment of religious congregations to run hospitals and schools. Above all, Napoleon recognised that if relations were mended with the Church, it could be used to promote and consolidate his rule throughout France. Ignoring objections from revolutionary opponents of the Church, Napoleon formalised its place in France in a way that ensured that loyal membership of the Church and the state were no longer mutually exclusive.
In 1801, Napoleon and Pope Pius VII signed the Concordat, reaffirming the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and restoring some of its civil status. While the Concordat restored some ties to the papacy, it largely favoured the interests of the French state. Napoleon's ambitions grew with his string of military victories, and he had himself declared emperor in 1804. He negotiated for Pope Pius to attend his coronation, but he redesigned the ceremony to crown himself, underlining that he did not "receive" his earthly rule from the Church.
By 1807, the relationship with Pius VII was in tatters as Napoleon insisted that the pope be subject to him, even in spiritual matters such as the appointment of bishops. Napoleon demanded that the pope should declare war on his enemies, seeing himself as a new Charlemagne to whom the pope owed allegiance. In 1809, Napoleon annexed the Papal States and imprisoned the pope, who suffered in captivity for almost five years. In 1813, the pope signed a document relenting to some of Napoleon's demands, but the emperor published the agreement, forcing Pius to make a public retraction. Napoleon was eventually excommunicated by Pope Pius VII.
During Napoleon's exile on Saint Helena, he reconciled with the Catholic Church and asked for a chaplain, saying, "it would rest my soul to hear Mass".
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The dechristianisation campaign
In 1789, the year the French Revolution broke out, Catholicism was the official religion of the French state. The French Catholic Church, or Gallican Church, recognised the Pope's authority as head of the Roman Catholic Church but had negotiated certain liberties that privileged the authority of the French monarch. France's population of 28 million was almost entirely Catholic, with full membership of the state denied to Protestant and Jewish minorities.
However, by 1794, France's churches and religious orders were closed, and religious worship was suppressed. This shift can be attributed to the dechristianisation campaign, which aimed to excise religion from French society. The movement was influenced by the Enlightenment's materialist philosophies and provided an outlet for resentment against the Catholic Church and its clergy. The campaign involved anti-clerical parades, forcing the Archbishop of Paris, Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel, to resign and don the "Cap of Liberty", and replacing street and place names with religious connotations, such as the town of Saint-Tropez, which became Héraclée.
In October 1793, public worship was banned, and all visible signs of Christianity were removed. Churches were converted into "temples of reason", where deistic services were held. The Festival of Reason, held in Notre Dame Cathedral on 10 November 1793, was a notable event during this period. Religious holidays were banned and replaced with non-religious celebrations, such as harvest festivals.
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Traditionalist Catholic movement in France
France has long been considered the "Eldest Daughter of the Church", with the country's historical association with the Catholic Church dating back to the 2nd century. In 496, Remigius baptised Clovis I, who converted from paganism to Catholicism. Clovis I, considered the founder of France, allied himself with the papacy and his Catholic subjects. In 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, establishing the political and religious foundations of Christendom and further solidifying the French government's ties with the Catholic Church.
The French Revolution of 1789 marked a tumultuous period for the Catholic Church in France. At the time, Catholicism was the official religion of the French state, with the French population being almost entirely Catholic. However, the Revolution brought about a wave of dechristianisation, aiming to remove religion from French society. Churches were closed, religious worship was suppressed, and priests were arrested and forced to abandon their practices. Napoleon's rise to power in 1799 brought a shift in this dynamic, as he sought to accommodate religious belief and practice to consolidate his rule. He negotiated the Concordat with Rome in 1801, formalising the place of the Church in France.
In more recent times, the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State in France established the principle of laïcité, advocating for state neutrality regarding religious doctrine and the separation of religious and public spheres. Initially, many Catholics opposed this secular movement, but most have come to accept it as a safeguard for their faith from political interference. However, some minority traditionalist Catholic groups, such as the Society of St. Pius X, persist in advocating for a return to the pre-separation situation, believing that France has forsaken its identity as a Christian nation.
The Traditionalist Catholic movement in France is part of a broader trend observed in countries like the United States, England, and other English-speaking nations. This movement emphasises the beliefs, practices, customs, and traditions associated with the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Traditionalist Catholics often emphasise the Tridentine Mass and prefer to continue practising pre-Second Vatican Council traditions. They may also hold more conservative views on social issues, such as promoting modest dressing styles and complementarian gender roles. The Society of Saint Pius X, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, has a significant presence in France, along with other traditionalist priestly societies like the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
While the overall practice of Catholicism in France is declining, there is a growing interest in the Traditionalist Catholic movement, particularly among youth seeking meaning in an uncertain world. Social media influencers have also played a significant role in driving this renewed interest. The French Catholic Church is witnessing a shift towards more traditional forms of Catholicism, with a 45% increase in adult catechumens expected at Easter, according to the French Bishops' Conference.
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Anti-Christian hate crimes in France
France has had a long historical association with the Catholic Church. In the 2nd century, the Catholic Church was established in the country, and it has since been in unbroken communion with the bishop of Rome. In 496, King Clovis I was baptised and converted from paganism to Catholicism. In 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the Roman Empire, forming the political and religious foundations of Christendom in Europe. In 1789, the year of the outbreak of the French Revolution, Catholicism was the official religion of the French state, with the country's population of 28 million being almost entirely Catholic.
However, the French Revolution also marked a shift in the perception of Catholicism in France. The Church's wealth and dominance in French society caused discontent among the people, and during the Revolution, France's churches and religious orders were closed down, and religious worship was suppressed. A movement referred to as "dechristianisation" aimed to remove religion from French society, and priests were encouraged or forced to abandon the priesthood and marry.
In more recent times, France has seen a rise in anti-Christian hate crimes. A report by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) found that nearly 1,000 out of 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes and acts of discrimination and intolerance across 35 European countries from 2023 to 2024 occurred in France. These incidents included attacks on churches and cemeteries, as well as personal attacks, harassment, threats, and physical assaults against Christians. The report also noted instances of Christians being prosecuted for praying silently in "buffer zones" near abortion clinics.
The increase in anti-Christian hate crimes in France has been linked to the arrival of people from Muslim countries who refuse to adopt the European way of life. However, it is important to note that the French government has recognised the issue and is taking steps to address it. In 2023, the government presented the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Anti-Semitism, and Discrimination, aiming to affirm and measure these issues, improve education, and strengthen legislation. Additionally, France has introduced strategic policy frameworks to address discrimination and hate crime victimisation of selected communities, and the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH) has implemented the "NeoHaine" application to support French gendarmes in recording crimes.
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Frequently asked questions
France has a complicated relationship with Catholicism. While it is a secular country, it has a historical connection to Catholicism and Catholic symbols. The country witnessed numerous terrorist attacks on Catholics in recent years. In 2021, more than 800 anti-Christian incidents were reported in France. However, the majority of the French population still identifies as Catholic.
There are a few reasons why some people might think that the French hate Catholics. Firstly, there is a long history of anti-clericalism and resentment against the Catholic Church in France, dating back to the French Revolution. During the Revolution, there were violent episodes of anti-clericalism, and the government seized Church properties and land. In more recent years, there have been reports of attacks on Catholic churches and priests in France, which have made headlines and sparked concerns about anti-Catholic sentiment in the country. Additionally, France has a tradition of laïcité, or secularism, which emphasizes freedom of conscience and a strict separation of church and state. This may be perceived by some as a form of anti-religious sentiment.
The French state maintains a regulatory relationship with religious organizations, including the Catholic Church. The government regulates religious activities to protect the rights of citizens, maintain public order, and uphold moral standards. This regulatory oversight is not limited to religious groups but applies to any organized group in France. The state does not interpret religious doctrine or define religion, as it is considered incompetent in matters of belief.
